Dutch Dreams ice cream shop is moving after 30 years in the same location

Family-run ice cream shop and Toronto landmark Dutch Dreams, known for its decadent cones and colourful, hoarder-style décor, is closing the doors to its corner plot near Vaughan and St. Clair at the end of the month. Thankfully, local ice-cream lovers will only have to brave a month-long hiatus, because the closure isn’t a permanent one. The shop-cum-tourist-destination will re-open in March at 36 Vaughan Road, just a few blocks away from its original location.

According to co-owner Theo Aben, who spoke to The Grid, the shop’s current venue was recently put up for sale, and a new opportunity came along just in time. “The building we’re moving into was a fruit and flower market that opened around 1990. I grew up going there and buying fruit from them for Dutch Dreams. I had a long-standing relationship with the owners and when they decided to retire they asked if I wanted the store.”

When the new digs open, Dutch Dreams devotees can rest assured the same menu will be on offer, and the new building’s trappings and furnishings will stay true to the shop’s signature look. The only changes will be the addition of an espresso machine, and more kinds of Dutch pancakes. Two very legitimate upgrades, in our opinion.